SONG DETAILS: The secret place-second rendezvous

-The pearly gate:

Imagine this: You find yourselves hand in hand with God, and you are in front of one of the pearly gates of the New Jerusalem.

You can just enjoy what’s happening behind the walls!

At one point one of the gates will open!

You go in and you are allowed a glimpse of God glory!

You become immersed in the river of life!

And then you come back down to earth.

This is the story of this song!

 

-The garden:

The Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:39-46)
Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him.
On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.”
He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed,
“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”
An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.
And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.
When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow.
“Why are you sleeping?” he asked them.

“Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”

 

-River of life:

The river of life (22:1)

22:1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever. 6 The angel said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place.”

v1 – Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb – The provisions and nourishment of the citizens of the new Jerusalem are now described. This verse reminds us of the river watering the garden of Eden, Gen 2:10. The picture comes from Ezekiel’s vision (Ezek 47:1 ff.). The river of the water of life symbolises eternal life, the spring of the water of life has already been mentioned in Rev 21:6, it has now become a river and the free gift of the water of life occurs again in Rev 22:17, the emphasis being that eternal life is a free gift. The water of life flows from the throne of God and of the Lamb who are the source of all life (John 5:26). In Psa 46:4 ‘There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells’. The water of life is Christ himself, he is the source of the water producing eternal life (John 4:14). There could be a connection with the sea of glass, clear as crystal before the throne in 4:6. The expression ‘clear as crystal’ is also used of the new Jerusalem in 21:11.

v2 – down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. – This city has a great street, the great city where the two witnesses were killed also had a street, 11:8, only this one is paved with gold, like transparent glass, 21:21, the martyrs will walk on this street for all eternity. In Isa 35:8 it is called a highway, ‘it will be called the Way of Holiness, the unclean will not go on it but only the redeemed’. ‘They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away’, Isa 35:10. The river of life, whose source is Christ, waters the tree of life which gives eternal life to everyone who eats of its fruit (Gen 3:22). This brings us full circle back to Genesis: Jesus the tree of life in Genesis is now the tree of life in Revelation, he is the beginning and the end.

Again we go to our pre-fall state, thanks to our representative, the Lamb who was slain. Man is no longer barred from the tree of life as he was in the garden after he sinned (Gen 3:22), he may eat of the tree and live for ever, for the fruit of the tree conveys eternal life. The twelve crops of fruit yielding its fruit every month indicates an abundance, the number twelve could correspond to the twelve tribes or twelve apostles but it is more likely to be a regular supply. The tree get its water from the river of the water of life, and so therefore it is the tree of life, Ezek 47:12. In the letter to the church at Ephesus God promises that to him who overcomes He will give ‘the right to the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God’, 2:7, thus the new Jerusalem is also the paradise of God. It is a new garden of Eden. In 22:14 those who wash their robes also have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. In 22:19 if anyone takes away words from this book of prophecy ‘God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city’. The leaves are for the healing of the nations, who are within the New Jerusalem, Rev 21:24, probably John has a poultice in mind here, again he is referring to Ezek 47:12 ‘Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing’.

v3 – No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. – There will be no Adamic curse which involved mankind in painful toil and death, it also banished mankind from the Garden of Eden and from the tree of life which would enable him to live forever (Gen 3:17-24). The curse is now revoked so that mankind can take hold of the fruit of the tree of life and live forever. The throne of God and of the Lamb is not remote in heaven but on earth in the New Jerusalem, God’s dwelling place is with man, heaven has moved to the earth. Instead of painful toil His servants will serve him as they also served him on the former earth, 1:6, 5:10, 7:15. Compare with 5:13 ‘To Him who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb’. There will be plenty to do in heaven, ‘his servants will serve him’.

v4 – They will see his face, his name will be on their foreheads – To see God’s face was denied Moses Exo 33:20. To see God’s face is to enjoy his favour (Job 33:26, Psa 17:15, 67:1) it is the reward of the pure in heart (Mat 5:8). To see God’s face is to be like Him, the saints will be transformed into his likeness, 2 Cor 3:18, 1 John 3:2. His name on their foreheads is once again a reference to the seal and the 144,000 who represent all the redeemed (Rev 3:12, Rev 14:1), the seal indicating ownership and intimacy.

v5 – There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever. – A reiteration of Rev 21:23-25 the continuous presence of the Lord will be their light and so there will be no more night. Night is abolished because it is associated with evil, light is associated with that which is good. Jesus was betrayed at night, night is when sin is committed Rom 13:12, 1 Thess 5:5-8. The saints are sons of the light (1 Thess 5:5). God himself dwells in unapproachable light, 1 Tim 1:16. Compare those who reign for ever and ever with the fate of those who follow the beast and who are tormented day and night for ever. Just as when the seventh trumpet sounded it was announced that Christ will reign for ever and ever, 11:15, so the saints who serve him will also reign with Him for ever and ever, 1 Thess 4:17. Those who remain faithful will reign with him, 2 Tim 2:12, compare to the reward to those who overcome in Laodicea, they will sit with Jesus on his throne (3:21). Because He reigns for ever and ever so will the saints, see John 14:9 “Because I live, you also will live”, see also Dan 7:18.

v6 – The angel said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place.” – The angel stresses the fact that these marvellous words are trustworthy and true just as God had in Rev 21:5. This repeats Rev 1:1, God has sent his angel to show his servants ‘what must soon take place’, this is again one of the keys to Revelation. Soon means in the biblical sense of ‘I am coming soon’. A true prophet prophecies according to the Holy Spirit rather than what their own spirit is saying (2 Pet 1:21). This picture of heaven is true, it can be trusted, it is worth dying for. This is a picture of heaven which ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him’ 1 Cor 2:9. It is the place prepared for us by Jesus John 14:2-3.
I am coming soon (22:7)

 

-Ichte alelaina (Great is Your name):

The Names of God
Old Testament (The Hebrew Scriptures, or Tanach):

EL:  God (“mighty, strong, prominent”) used 250 times in the OT See Gen. 7:1, 28:3, 35:11; Nu. 23:22; Josh. 3:10; 2 Sam. 22:31, 32; Neh. 1:5, 9:32; Isa. 9:6; Ezek. 10:5. El is linguistically equivalent to the Moslem “Allah,” but the attributes of Allah in Islam are entirely different from those of the God of the Hebrews. ELAH is Aramaic, “god.” Elah appears in the Hebrew Bible in Jer. 10:11 (which is in Aramaic, and is plural, “gods”). In Daniel (the Aramaic sections) Elah is used both of pagan gods, and of the true God, also plural. Elah is equivalent to the Hebrew Eloah which some think is dual; Elohim is three or more. The gods of the nations are called “elohim.” The origin of Eloah is obscure. Elohim is the more common plural form of El. Eloah is used 41 times in Job between 3:4 and 40:2, but fewer than 15 times elsewhere in the OT. See the Catholic Encyclopedia entry on Elohim.

ELOHIM:  God (a plural noun, more than two, used with singular verbs); Elohim occurs 2,570 times in the OT, 32 times in Gen. 1. God as Creator, Preserver, Transcendent, Mighty and Strong. Eccl., Dan. Jonah use Elohim almost exclusively. See Gen. 17:7, 6:18, 9:15, 50:24; I Kings 8:23; Jer. 31:33; Isa. 40:1.

EL SHADDAI:    God Almighty or “God All Sufficient.” 48 times in the OT, 31 times in Job. First used in Gen. 17:1, 2. (Gen. 31:29, 49:24, 25; Prov. 3:27; Micah 2:1; Isa. 60:15, 16, 66:10-13; Ruth 1:20, 21) In Rev. 16:7, “Lord God the Almighty.” The Septuagint uses Greek “ikanos” meaning “all-sufficient” or “self-sufficient.” The idols of the heathen are called “sheddim.”

ADONAI:  Lord in our English Bibles (Capital letter ‘L ‘, lower case, ‘ord’) (Adonai is plural, the sing. is “adon”). “Master” or “Lord” 300 times in the OT always plural when referring to God, when sing. the reference is to a human lord. Used 215 times to refer to men. First use of Adonai, Gen. 15:2. (Ex. 4:10; Judges 6:15; 2 Sam. 7:18-20; Ps. 8, 114:7, 135:5, 141:8, 109:21-28). Heavy use in Isaiah (Adonai Jehovah). 200 times by Ezekiel. Ten times in Dan. 9.

JEHOVAH:  LORD in our English Bibles (all capitals). Yahweh is the covenant name of God. Occurs 6823 times in the OT First use Gen. 2:4 (Jehovah Elohim). From the verb “to be”, havah, similar to chavah (to live), “The Self-Existent One,” “I AM WHO I AM” or ‘I WILL BE WHO I WILL BE” as revealed to Moses at the burning bush, Ex.3. The name of God, too sacred to be uttered, abbreviated ( . . . . ) or written “YHWH” without vowel points. The tetragrammaton. Josh., Judges, Sam., and Kings use Jehovah almost exclusively. The love of God is conditioned upon His moral and spiritual attributes. (Dan. 9:14; Ps. 11:7; Lev. 19:2; Hab. 1:12). Note Deut. 6:4, 5 known to Jews as the Sh’ma uses both Jehovah and Elohim to indicate one God with a plurality of persons.

JEHOVAH-JIREH:   “The Lord will Provide.” Gen. 22:14. From “jireh” (“to see” or “to provide,” or to “foresee” as a prophet.) God always provides, adequate when the times come.

JEHOVAH-ROPHE:      “The Lord Who Heals” Ex. 15:22-26. From “rophe” (“to heal”); implies spiritual, emotional as well as physical healing. (Jer. 30:17, 3:22; Isa. 61:1) God heals body, soul and spirit; all levels of man’s being.

JEHOVAH-NISSI:     “The Lord Our Banner.” Ex. 17:15. God on the battlefield, from word which means “to glisten,” “to lift up,” See Psalm 4:6.

JEHOVAH-M’KADDESH:        “The Lord Who Sanctifies” “To make whole, set apart for holiness.” The Lord says: “Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the Lord your God. Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the Lord, who makes you holy.” (Leviticus 20:7-8)

JEHOVAH-SHALOM:      “The Lord Our Peace” Judges 6:24. “Shalom” translated “peace” 170 times means “whole,” “finished,” “fulfilled,” “perfected.” Related to “well,” welfare.” Deut. 27:6; Dan. 5:26; I Kings 9:25 8:61; Gen. 15:16; Ex. 21:34, 22:5, 6; Lev. 7:11-21. Shalom means that kind of peace that results from being a whole person in right relationship to God and to one’s fellow man.

SHEPHERD:  Psa. 23, 79:13, 95:7, 80:1, 100:3; Gen. 49:24; Isa. 40:11.

JUDGE:  Psa. 7:8, 96:13.

JEHOVAH ELOHIM:     “LORD God” Gen. 2:4; Judges 5:3; Isa. 17:6; Zeph. 2:9; Psa. 59:5, etc.

JEHOVAH-TSIDKENU      “The Lord Our Righteousness” Jer. 23:5, 6, 33:16. From “tsidek” (straight, stiff, balanced – as on scales – full weight, justice, right, righteous, declared innocent.) God our Righteousness.

JEHOVAH-ROHI:     “The Lord Our Shepherd” Psa. 23, from “ro’eh” (to pasture).

JEHOVAH-SHAMMAH:        “The Lord is There” (Ezek. 48:35).

JEHOVAH-SABAOTH:      “The Lord of Hosts” The commander of the angelic host and the armies of God. Isa. 1:24; Psa. 46:7, 11; 2 Kings 3:9-12; Jer. 11:20 (NT: Rom. 9:29; James 5:4, Rev. 19: 11-16).

EL ELYON:       ‘Most High” (from “to go up”) Deut. 26:19, 32:8; Psa. 18:13; Gen. 14:18; Nu. 24:16; Psa. 78:35, 7:17, 18:13, 97:9, 56:2, 78:56, 18:13; Dan. 7:25, 27; Isa. 14:14.

ABIR:  ‘Mighty One’, (“to be strong”) Gen. 49:24; Deut. 10:17; Psa. 132:2, 5; Isa. 1:24, 49:26, 60:1.

BRANCH:  (tsemach), The Branch: Zech. 3:8, 6:12; Isa. 4:2; Jer. 23:5, 33:15.

KADOSH:  “Holy One” Psa. 71:22; Isa. 40:25, 43:3, 48:17. Isaiah uses the expression “the Holy One of Israel” 29 times.

SHAPHAT: “Judge” Gen. 18:25

EL ROI:       “God of Seeing” Hagar in Gen. 16:13. The God Who opens our eyes.

KANNA:  “Jealous” (zealous). Ex. 20:5, 34:14; Deut. 5:9; Isa. 9:7; Zech. 1:14, 8:2.

PALET:  “Deliverer” Psa. 18:2.

YESHUA:  (Yeshua) “Savior” (“he will save”). Isa. 43:3. Jesus is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew “Joshua.” The latter is a contraction of Je-Hoshua. (“Christ”, the anointed one is equivalent to the Hebrew Maschiah, or Messiah). [See Wikipedia article].

GAOL:  “Redeemer” (to buy back by paying a price). Job 19:25; For example, the antitype corresponding to Boaz the Kinsman-Redeemer in the Book of Ruth.

MAGEN:  “Shield” Psa. 3:3, 18:30.

STONE: (eben)  Gen. 49:24

EYALUTH:  “Strength” Psa. 22:19.

TSADDIQ:  “Righteous One” Psa. 7:9.

EL-OLAM:       “Everlasting God” (God of everlasting time) Gen. 21:33; Psa. 90:1-3, 93:2; Isa. 26:4.

EL-BERITH:      “God of the Covenant” Used of Baal in Judges 9:46. Probably used originally to refer to the God of israel.

EL-GIBHOR:      Mighty God (Isa. 9:6)

TSUR:  “God our Rock” Deut. 32:18; Isa. 30:29.

Malachi calls Messiah “The Sun of Righteousness” (Malachi 4:2).

Isaiah calls Messiah “Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God (El Gibhor), Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9:6).

‘Attiq Yomin (Aramaic): “Ancient of Days,” Dan. 7:9, 13, 22.

MELEKH:  “King” Psa. 5:2, 29:10, 44:4, 47:6-8, 48:2, 68:24, 74:12, 95:3, 97:1, 99:4, 146:10; Isa. 5:1, 5, 41:21, 43:15, 44:6; 52:7, 52:10.

“The Angel of the Lord: ” Gen. 16:7ff, 21:17, 22:11, 15ff, 18:1-19:1, 24:7, 40, 31:11-13, 32:24-30; Ex. 3:6, 13:21, Ezek. 1:10-13. Seen in the theophanies, or pre-incarnate appearances of the Son of God in the OT (See I Cor. 10:3 NT).

FATHER:  2 Sam. 7:14-15; Psa. 68:5; Isa. 63:16, 64:8; Mal. 1:6.

THE FIRST AND LAST: Isa. 44:6, 48:12.

IMMANUEL, or EMMANUEL, or IMANUEL: “God with us.” Isaiah 7:14, 8:8. Quoted in Matthew 1:23.

New Testament Scriptures, (Greek):

KURIOS: (kurios) “Lord” Found some 600 times in the NT.

DESPOTES: (despotes) “Lord” 5 times: Lu. 2:29; Acts 4:24; 2 Pet. 2:1; Jude 4; Rev. 6:10.

THEOS: (yeos) “God” (equivalent to the Hebrew Elohim), 1,000 times in the NT. In the NT all the persons of the trinity are called “God” at one time or another.

I AM: Jesus upset his generation especially when He said, “Before Abraham was, I AM,” John 8:58. Note also his claim to be Jehovah in such phrases as “I AM the Light of the world,” “the bread of life,” living water,” “the Resurrection and the Life,” “the Way, Truth and the Life” in John’s Gospel. From the Hebrew OT verb “to be” signifying a Living, Intelligent, Personal Being.

THEOTES: “Godhead” Col. 2:9; Rom. 1:20.

HUPSISTOS: “Highest” Mt. 21:9.

SOTER: (soter) “Savior” Luke 1:4 7.

WORD: (logos) John 1:1ff

ALMIGHTY: (pantokrator) 2 Cor. 6:18, Revelation, 9t, e.g. 19:6.

JESUS: Derived from the Hebrew “Joshua” (Y’shua) or “Je-Hoshua” meaning JEHOVAH IS SALVATION.

CHRIST: is equivalent to the Hebrew ‘Messiah’ (Meshiach), “The Anointed One.”

Other NT Titles for Jesus: Shepherd of the Sheep; Master; King of kings; Lord of lords; Bishop and Guardian of our Souls; Daystar, Deliverer, Advocate, Last (or Second) Adam, Ancient of Days, Branch, Chief Cornerstone, Immanuel, First Born, Head of the Body, Physician, Rock, Root of Jesse, Stone, Potentate; Chief Apostle; Great High Priest; Pioneer and Perfecter of our Faith (or Author and Finisher); Lamb of God; Lamb Slain before the Foundation of the World; Lord God Almighty.

LOGOS: “The Word of God” John l; Rev. 19:13.

SOPHIA: “The Wisdom of God,” referring to Christ, refers back to Proverbs (I Cor. 1,2)

Father, Son, Holy Spirit: Christian orthodoxy has always understood God to be One God in Three Persons (Elohim). In The NT each person of the godhead is called “God” and “Lord” at least once.

Names for the Holy Spirit: Counselor; Comforter; Baptizer; Advocate; Strengthener; Sanctifier; Spirit of Christ (not the same as the spirit of Christ); Seven-Fold Spirit (Rev.); Spirit of Truth; Spirit of Grace; Spirit of Mercy; Spirit of God; Spirit of Holiness; Spirit of Life. Symbolized in OT and NT by (l) breath or wind; (2) fire; (3) water; (4) oil; (5) light; (6) a dove.

The Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ: Most Study Bibles have notes which give references to the Deity of our Lord Jesus Christ. Here is what the Scofield Study Bible Notes say:

(1) In the intimations and explicit predictions of the O.T. (a) The theophanies intimate the appearance of God in human form, and His ministry thus to man (Gen. 16:7-13; 18:2-23. especially v. 17; 32. 28 with Hos. 12:3-5; Ex. 3:2-14). (b) The Messiah is expressly declared to be the Son of God (Psa. 2:2-9), and God (Psa. 45:6, 7 with Heb. 1:8,9; Psa. 110. with Mt. 22:44; Acts 2:34 and Heb. 1:13; Psa. 110.4 with Heb. 5:6; 6. 20:7. 17-21; and Zech. 6:13). (c) His virgin birth was foretold as the means through which God could be “Immanuel,” God with us (Isa. 7:13, 14 with Mt. 1:22, 23). (d) The Messiah is expressly invested with the divine names (Isa. 9:6, 7). (e) In a prophecy of His death He is called Jehovah’s “fellow” (Zech. 13:7 with Mt. 26:31). (f) His eternal being is declared (Mic. 5:2 with Mt. 2:6; John 7:42).

(2) Christ Himself affirmed His deity. (a) He applied to Himself the Jeho-vistic I AM. (The pronoun “he” is not in the Greek; cf. John 8:24; John 8:56-58. The Jews correctly understood this to be our Lord’s claim to full deity [v. 59]. See, also, John 10:33; 18:4-6, where, also “he” is not in the original.) (b) He claimed to be the Adonai of the O.T. (Mt. 22:42-45. See Gen. 15:2, note). (c) He asserted His identity with the Father (Mt. 28:19; Mk. 14:62; John 10:30; that the Jews so understood Him is shown by vs. 31, 32; John 14:8, 9; 17. 5). (d) He exercised the chief prerogative of God (Mk. 2:5-7; Lk. 7:48-50). (e) He asserted omnipresence (Mt. 18:20; John 3:13); omniscience (John 11:11-14, when Jesus was fifty miles away; Mk. 11:6-8); omnipotence (Mt. 28:18; Lk. 7:14; John 5:21-23; 6. is); mastery over nature, and creative power (Lk. 9:16. 17; John 2:9, 10:28). (f) He received and approved human worship (Mt. 14:33; 28: 9, John 20: 28, 29).

(3) The N.T. writers ascribe divine titles to Christ (John 1:1; 20. 28; Acts 20:28; Rom. 1:4; 9:5; 2 Thess. 1:12; 1 Tim. 3:16; Tit. 2:23; Heb. 1:8; 1 John 5:20).

(4) The N.T. writers ascribe divine perfections and attributes to Christ (e.g. Mt. 11:28; 18:20, 28:20; John 1:2, 2:23-25; 3:13; 5:17; 21:17; Heb. 1:3, 11, 12 with Heb. 13:8; Rev. 1:8,17,18; 2:23; 11. 17; 22:13).

(5) The N.T. writers ascribe divine works to Christ (John 1:3. 16:17, Col. 1:16, 17; Heb. 1:3).

(6) The N.T. writers teach that supreme worship should be paid to Christ (Acts 7:59, 60; 1 Cor. 1:2; 2 Cor. 13:14, Phil. 2:9, 10; Heb. 1:6; Rev. 1:5, 6; 5. 12, 13).

(7) The holiness and resurrection of Christ prove His deity (John 8:46; Rom. 1:4).

Philippians 2 is the great Chapter on the kenosis or self-emptying of the Lord Jesus Christ when He became a man. His equality with the Father as the Son of God is stated here.

Note also John 5:18 “This was why the Jews sought all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the sabbath but also called God his Father, making himself equal with God.”

A well-known NT passage of mine is Romans 9:5 “…to them (the Jewish race) belong the patriarchs, and of their race, according to the flesh, is the Messiah (who is) God who is over all, blessed for ever. Amen.”

ALPHA AND OMEGA: The First and the Last, The Beginning and The End (Rev. 1).

 

-The desert:

“The Holy Spirit led Jesus into the desert.”

The Holy Spirit led Jesus into the desert, so that the devil could test him.
After Jesus had gone without eating for forty days and nights, he was very hungry.

Then the devil came to him and said, “If you are God’s Son, tell these stones to turn into bread.”

Jesus answered, “The Scriptures say: ‘No one can live only on food.
People need every word that God has spoken.’ ”

Next, the devil took Jesus to the holy city and had him stand on the highest part of the temple.
The devil said, “If you are God’s Son, jump off.
The Scriptures say: ‘God will give his angels orders about you.
They will catch you in their arms, and you won’t hurt your feet on the stones.’ ”

Jesus answered, “The Scriptures also say, ‘Don’t try to test the Lord your God!’ ”

Finally, the devil took Jesus up on a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms on earth and their power.  The devil said to him, “I will give all this to you, if you will bow down and worship me.”

Jesus answered, “Go away Satan!
The Scriptures say: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’ ”

Then the devil left Jesus, and angels came to help him.

Matthew 4:1-11

Jesus, after 40 days and nights of fasting, was tempted by the devil to trust in himself rather than in his father in heaven.
Instead of falling, like the children of Israel had, Jesus would be triumphant,
pre-enacting what he would do for the world on the cross: conquer sin and defeat the enemy.

Jesus’ first temptation was in the area of life’s necessities — food — the same area in which the children of Israel showed their lack of trust.
The enemy tests Jesus’ identity by saying, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.”
Jesus responded, “It is written, ‘Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”
Notice that the enemy focuses on Jesus’ identity and relationship with God the Father by saying, “If you are the Son of God.”
Often our temptations will test our identity as sons and daughters of God.
How often we think to ourselves,“If God really loved me, then I wouldn’t be in this situation.”

In the second temptation, the devil tries to trip up Jesus by getting him to tempt God by throwing himself off the pinnacle of the temple.
Psalm 91 says, “He will give his angels charge of you, and on their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.
” If Jesus would have jumped off of the temple, it would have been for the purpose of seeing if Psalm 91 were true.
Jesus didn’t have to jump to prove his trust in the Father; he demonstrated it by trusting in God’s word.
Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6:16, “You shall not tempt the Lord your God.”

How many times do we test the Lord by saying, “Lord if you do so and so for me then I’ll know that you love me.”

In the third temptation the devil pulls out all stops to get Jesus to worship him.
This corresponds to when Israel worshipped the golden calf in Exodus 32.
Once again Jesus answers from Deuteronomy 6:13-14: “It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.”

In the end, Jesus is triumphant over these three temptations and the devil flees.
Contained in this Gospel reading is the secret to overcoming the various temptations we face.
Knowing our identity as sons and daughters of God, we trust in him for all we need and rely on his word as assurance.

 

-The Inner Court:

The Inner Court (2 Chronicles 4:9; 1 Kings 6:36; 7:12)
The inner court was strictly for the priests and levites and for their ministries.
In Jeremiah 36:10 the inner court is also called “the higher court”.
This would indicate that it was on a higher level than the outer court.

At the west side of the inner court was the magnificent Temple itself.
In the center of the eastern half stood the altar of burnt offering, and at the southeast corner stood the molten sea.
There were ten basins, five on the north side and five on the south side.
The inner court was surrounded by three rows of stones with cedar beams placed on top.
here were surrounding rooms within these walls to provide more living space.

This was a place where the Spirit of God was present

 

-Holy of Holies:

Within the Holy Place of the tabernacle, there was an inner room called the Holy of Holies, or the Most Holy Place. Judging from its name, we can see that it was a most sacred room, a place no ordinary person could enter. It was God’s special dwelling place in the midst of His people. During the Israelites’ wanderings in the wilderness, God appeared as a pillar of cloud or fire in and above the Holy of Holies. The Holy of Holies was a perfect cube — its length, width and height were all equal to 15 feet.

A thick curtain separated the Holy of Holies from the Holy Place. This curtain, known as the “veil,” was made of fine linen and blue, purple and scarlet yarn. There were figures of cherubim (angels) embroidered onto it. Cherubim, spirits who serve God, were in the presence of God to demonstrate His almighty power and majesty. They also guarded the throne of God. These cherubim were also on the innermost layer of covering of the tent. If one looked upward, they would see the cherubim figures.

The word “veil” in Hebrew means a screen, divider or separator that hides. What was this curtain hiding? Essentially, it was shielding a holy God from sinful man. Whoever entered into the Holy of Holies was entering the very presence of God. In fact, anyone except the high priest who entered the Holy of Holies would die. Even the high priest, God’s chosen mediator with His people, could only pass through the veil and enter this sacred dwelling once a year, on a prescribed day called the Day of Atonement.

The picture of the veil was that of a barrier between man and God, showing man that the holiness of God could not be trifled with. God’s eyes are too pure to look on evil and He can tolerate no sin (Habakkuk 1:13). The veil was a barrier to make sure that man could not carelessly and irreverently enter into God’s awesome presence. Even as the high priest entered the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement, he had to make some meticulous preparations: He had to wash himself, put on special clothing, bring burning incense to let the smoke cover his eyes from a direct view of God, and bring blood with him to make atonement for sins.

“But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance.” (Hebrews 9:7)

So the presence of God remained shielded from man behind a thick curtain during the history of Israel. However, Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross changed that. When He died, the curtain in the Jerusalem temple was torn in half, from the top to the bottom. Only God could have carried out such an incredible feat because the veil was too high for human hands to have reached it, and too thick to have torn it. (The Jerusalem temple, a replica of the wilderness tabernacle, had a curtain that was about 60 feet in height, 30 feet in width and four inches thick.) Furthermore, it was torn from top down, meaning this act must have come from above.

As the veil was torn, the Holy of Holies was exposed. God’s presence was now accessible to all. Shocking as this may have been to the priests ministering in the temple that day, it is indeed good news to us as believers, because we know that Jesus’ death has atoned for our sins and made us right before God. The torn veil illustrated Jesus’ body broken for us, opening the way for us to come to God. As Jesus cried out “It is finished!” on the cross, He was indeed proclaiming that God’s redemptive plan was now complete. The age of animal offerings was over. The ultimate offering had been sacrificed.

We can now boldly enter into God’s presence, “the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf.” (Hebrews 6:19-20)

“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body …let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith.” (Hebrews 10:19-22)

The Holy of Holies is a representation of heaven itself, God’s dwelling place, which we have access now through Christ. In Revelations, John’s vision of heaven — the New Jerusalem — also was a perfect square, just as the Holy of Holies was (Revelation 21:16).

“For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. …But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.” (Hebrews 9:24-26)